Link Safe

A fake app is a simple and very efficient way for a hacker to get into your tablet and gain your trust. Fake apps tend to pretend to be something they’re not (such as a recent app masquerading as CCleaner, which Google removed almost immediately from the Play Store) or claim to let you do something you shouldn’t (such as hack your iPad’s operating system). So if an app seems too good to be true, be wary, and don’t download apps from third-party sources. Security company F-Secure (www.f-secure.com) found that just 0.1 per cent of malware threats last year came from Google Play, so it pays to stick with apps from the Play store or Apple's App Store. Always check the permissions requested by apps, and only grant them if you're happy. F-Secure’s free Android app App Permissions (http://tinyurl.com/ppm89te) helps you spot the permissions that compromise your privacy, use your location and potentially cost you money. Clueful (http://tinyurl.com/nf8tqk7), from the makers of Bitdefender (www.bitdefender.co.uk), monitors your installed apps and reveals which ones track your location, access your photos and view your contacts. It gives you an at-a-glance list of the apps that may be playing fast and loose with your personal information.

Kaspersky Internet Security for Android (http://tinyurl.com/ctogtjc) provides reliable defence against mobile malware and is completely free. If you run a scan and it doesn’t find any problems, you'll see a green tick; if it does, you’ll see a red cross. There’s also an Anti-Theft tool that lets you lock and wipe your tablet remotely if it falls into the wrong hands. McAfee’s Free Antivirus &Security app (http://tinyurl.com/c6qlcze) also blocks access to risky sites and lets you lock apps that contain personal information, such as notes apps.